IHEP held the 2nd Workshop on Polarized Neutrons in Dongguan on Dec. 10-14, 2020.

Due to an international lockdown caused by the pandemic, more than 30 researchers from other neutron sources around the world attended the workshop virtually during the first two days. They each reported on their current research progress and held a group discussion about the future opportunities and challenges in the field of polarized neutron technology.

The last three days of the workshop was held in person at Dongguan International Exhibition Hotel, with more than 100 researchers from domestic universities and research institutions in attendance. The workshop consisted of three scientific sessions, focusing on concept and development, application, and the experimental challenges of polarized neutrons. They shared results from their ongoing research in topics related to neutron scattering instrumentation, neutron polarization technologies, and complex magnetic systems. They also expressed their vision for possible future capabilities of polarized neutron technologies and scattering sources to meet the needs of the next generation of researchers.

Polarized neutron technology is expected to be widely used in research fields ranging from magnetic materials to particle physics and even alternative energy. This kind of technology and expertise, along with the community support, will put the country in a stronger position for producing high-level scientific results and enhancing its capabilities in fundamental research topics. Polarized neutron technology is a perfect tool for conducting research on state-of-the-art materials that show promise in advancing our understanding of spintronics, quantum computing and superconductivity.

The workshop was co-sponsored by the Dongguan government as part of the city's high-level talent week.